Zut Alors! McDonald’s Is Selling Baguettes in France

American-French relations have long been tense. (Two words: Freedom Fries.) But perhaps the latest move from McDonald’s, deciding to sell baguettes in many of their French locations, will usher in a new era of understanding and solidarity. (via Worldcrunch)

According to French newspaper Le Figaro, “les petits pains individuels,” small individual breads, will be served for breakfast come September. Come 2012, the fast-food chain will produce full, sandwich-sized baguettes. And these moves appear to have pleased the desired audience.

Le Figaro calls this nothing less than a “revolution” in the world of fast-food and describes McDonald’s as continually adapting to its French market. (Are there foie gras fries and ratatouille spreads in the cards? Will employees be asked to wear both berets and chaps? NewsFeed certainly hopes so.)

The move also makes good business sense. The French paper cites research showing that French people eat nine times as many sandwiches as hamburgers and that 60% of those sandwiches are consumed on baguettes.

This is far from the first time McDonald’s has made regional adaptations. They’ve tried selling McFalafels in the Middle East. Residents of Hong Kong are encouraged to enjoy a green tea and red bean sundae with their Shogun Burger. And one of the many dishes they’ve offered the vegetarians of India is the McAloo Tikki Burger, a “potato and peas patty.” Proving that whatever America’s faults, they are nothing if not an accommodating people.

Katy Steinmetz is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @KatySteinmetz. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.